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Marques Torbert did not come from wealth or connections. He grew up in Cleveland, the son of a family with no background in business or finance. What he had was a sharp mind, a willingness to take calculated risks and a habit of making the most of every opportunity that came his way. That combination took him from a high school AP economics class to Lazard Freres, then Harvard Business School, then to the CEO seat of a healthcare company he would eventually grow 30 times over and sell for $350 million.
Since that exit, Torbert has been building something broader. As co-founder and managing partner of 5th Century Partners, a Chicago-based purpose-driven private equity firm, he backs growing middle market companies in healthcare, consumer and business services. The firm targets companies with diverse founders and operators, using capital and operational expertise to accelerate growth and create economic impact for communities that have historically been overlooked by institutional capital.
Here are six companies that define the Torbert portfolio and investment approach.
1. Ametros Financial
Ametros Financial is the company that put Torbert on the map. When he became CEO of the healthcare and insurance services firm, it was a mid-sized player in a niche corner of the market, administering medical funds from insurance claim settlements for injured workers. Over a decade of strategic leadership, Torbert grew its enterprise value by more than 30 times. Webster Bank acquired Ametros in 2024 for $350 million in cash, making it one of the cleaner exits in the middle market that year. Torbert remains chairman of the board following the acquisition.
2. 5th Century Partners
5th Century Partners is Torbert's firm, co-founded after the Ametros exit alongside Bruce Hampton and Jessica Patton. The firm invests $5 million to $20 million in lower middle market companies across healthcare and business services, with a specific focus on diverse-led businesses. Its debut fund closed oversubscribed. Northern Trust serves as its financial partner. The name comes from the firm's ambition to build companies and communities that will still be relevant a century from now.
3. Radon Medical Imaging
Radon Medical Imaging is one of 5th Century Partners' most active platform investments. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, Radon services, sells and distributes medical imaging equipment including MRI, PET/CT and X-Ray systems across major hospital systems and healthcare providers. Since 5th Century Partners recapitalized the company in September 2022, Radon has completed three acquisitions, Premier Imaging Medical Systems in 2022, Tristate Biomedical Solutions in 2023 and Alpha Imaging in 2024. The firm has grown from operations in 13 states to 24 states and now has more than 200 employees.
4. Vital Care Industries
Vital Care manufactures and distributes medical surgical supplies and solutions, primarily for use in the operating room. Its products maintain sterile environments and reach over 2,000 hospitals and 1,500 surgical centers across the United States. The company is a direct fit with 5th Century Partners' thesis around healthcare businesses that serve the broader medical ecosystem and have room to scale with the right operational partner.
5. Winners Circle Group
Winners Circle Group of Texas is a mental health services company providing therapy, skills training, case management, crisis intervention and medication support services for children experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. The company reflects 5th Century Partners' commitment to healthcare companies that create social impact alongside financial returns. The firm has positioned Winners Circle Group for geographic expansion within Texas and neighboring states following its investment.
6. Perspecta
Perspecta is a technology-driven provider of data management solutions for the healthcare industry, focusing specifically on provider network management for health plans and workers' compensation organizations. The company carries an accuracy rating of more than 95 percent and serves health plans and managed care providers across the United States. Following 5th Century Partners' investment, Perspecta merged with TalisPoint, expanding its reach into workers' compensation and strengthening its technology platform.
Each of these companies reflects the same investment logic: find businesses with strong fundamentals in underserved markets, back diverse operators and build toward exits that create lasting value. It is the same logic Torbert used at Ametros, and it is working again.
